The Indianapolis journal., 1887-10-05
SEVEN IN THE SCRIPTURES
Why the eSeventh-Day Adyentists Believe
1t Is the Figure of Gods Divisions.
An Interesting Discourse by Elder Starr on
the Subject ''Christ as the Mediator in
the Sanctuary in Heaven"

ors from the city yesterday. The campers show
a remarkable amount of hospitality to their
guests in many ways The reception tent, pre-
pared especially for these. is commodious and
pleasant. and furnished with a neatly
board floor. The reporters tent was put up yes
terday and supplied with conveniences for the
emissaries of the press. Stationary torches have
been placed all through the grounds, that
easily find his way about at night The
only trouble that the brethren still have to con-
tend with is the milk supply. They use a large
quantity of the article, and yet have been
unable to make satisfactory arrangements for
it There is an opening for enter
prising daryman. Services will be held
daily hereafter at the appointed hours
Elder Starr delivered an address to good sized
audience, taking as his text portion of the
epistle the churches. found in the third chapter
of Revelation and addressed to the Philadel-
phia church. "Seven churches" the elder said
''are mentioned in the book of Revelation. This
number. seven. is used from the first part of the
Bible until the very last. Goo made the world
in six days. and rested on the seventh, and after
ward divided every important period into seven
parts. We read of seven weeks. seven seals,
seven last plaques seven churches, etc. Six
thousand years of the worlds history has come
and nearly gone, and there is to be another
period of one thousand years, during which the
earth shall rest before the shall be ush
cred in SoGod's divisions are by sevens, the figure
seven denoting completeness perfection. The
seven churches represent the character
of the churches for the time at which
the letter is written. and not necessarily the
the greatest or strongest church of the time.
The churches at Corinth and at Rome not
mentioned at all. although the largest and most
influential of all in their day.
The Philadelphia church evidently exists
at the time of the end, because Christ
says, Behold, come quickly and the church
tn at succeeds it, the Laodicean. at the very time
OF His advent. Behold. stand at the door and
knock This agrees with His utterance found in
Matt xiv. so likewise We when ye shall see
all these things know that it is near, even at the
door Some claim that the knocking is spiritual
only, and upon the heart. but there 1s good evil
dence to sustain the assertion that the knocking
is literal and that He is literally knocking at the
door. Christ is coming TO put an end to earth's
history and this gathering here to night is proof
of it. He is gathering people who are looking
for His coming, not fanatical persons who are
constaptlv setting time, but those who love the
LORD and the idea of His again appearing. l
have no faith in anyone who claims to love the
Lord and has no love for HIS soon appearing. A
true Christian when told that the Lord is at
hand should Investigate the evidence produced.
There are some common sense people who do
trying to cleanse themselve and to be prepared
for that event"
The Elder then took up what is known as the
Sanctuary Question" In the eighth chapter
of Daniel is brought view the longest pro-
phetic period mentioned in the Bible-the 300
days-at the end of which the angel tells Daniel
the sanctuary is to be cleansed. 1t is upon the
Interpretation of this prophecy that the division
among Adventists occurred. one division reject
ing the present interpretation, who are now
known as First-dav Adventlsts, and who are
bat anti 1C fho in,a
for Christs appearing, and through whom. the
Seventh-day Adventists claim, discredit is
brought upon the truth in reference to the sec
ond advent of Christ. The speaker claimed that
it was because of misapprehension OF what
constituted the sanctuary and what should be
its cleansing that William Miller made his mis-
take in 1874 and that since his time such light
has been thrown upon this matter. that it is now
we'll understandable Mller's mistake, the
speaker said was in supposing the earth was the
sanctuary. and because he read that the earth
was to he destroyed by fire and that the 1900
prophetic day. were to end in 1874. he concluded
that Christ was to come me- and the earth
mentioned in the Bible 146 times, but never
once called the earth, but. instead. always
holy" or ''most holy" showing it takes place
sanctified set apart for a holy purpose. I'm
tho book of Exodus said the speaker, "a
sanctuary is described that cleansed
year with blood. and. as the earth is to be
cleansed by fire, it cannot be the sanctuary mem
toned by the angel. In the eighth and ninth
chapters OF Hebrews this sanctuary erected by
Moses is spoken of as atype of a sanctuary In
heaven where Christ, as high priest. hi nisters.
The building of Moses was not then the true
sanctuary. but type (chaptsr TX. 81, but a fig
ure of the true Verse 24 Are there. then,
things, real and tangible things, in heaven? We
certainly had once pattern upon earth, and if
we can find that pattern We can then know just
how the original looks. For Christ is not en-
tered into the holy places made with hands
Verse "a What language could be palmer
than this2 In Exodus XIV, s. 9. 40, Moses is
told to make a sanctuary after a pattern shown
49, n ~~alya
and say Now. Moses be careful and
make all things exact WhyY Because
they patterns of heavenly things. He
was to weigh the gold and silver which covered
the various parts, and be atically correct
in all things; and so it can be said that we know
we have the proportions of the heavenly things
They may not be the exact size-no doubt that
the heavenly sanctuary is much larger than the
copy of it-but the relative proportions are un-
the same
John in the Revelation says, he the |
heavenly sanctuary, not the type. (see Rev. iv 1,
open in heaven, mot heaven, because the |
is not heaven itself, but is in heaven
and twenty-four elders, the true priests minis
terng to Christ the High priest, in the
earth the twenty-four courses of |
priests ministered unto Aaron the type
sin the eighth chapter of Revelations John |
sees angels offering incense and the prayers of |
all saints. When / first began to read this l |
failed to comprehend what that had to do with |
US now. but when / realized that this service |
was exact pattern of the service performed in |
the old sanctuary earth, it helped me con- |
in knowing that my prayers, instead |
of wandering off into space and drifting |
amlessy in the ether about our globe, were |
borne directly into the sanctuary in heaven. to |
be offered with sweet incense to the Father. |
1t is a comfort to know that there is sanctuary |
and High Priest there, and that ones prayers |
come before Him. and it should teach us to be !
careful how we pray and what We pray for. L |
have heard people pray for things that, if given
to them. would scarce them to DEATH and TO ask |
for things that GOD has never promised to do |
for man. 1 have heard Him asked to save a |
whole congregation, all the world God has /
never promised to do anything of this kind. He |
has promised and will save few honest souls, |
and gather a people together who will be faith |
full and obedent Strive to enter in at the |
straight gate. for many say unto you, will |
seek to enter in and shall not be able. What |
then is the use of asking God to convert the |
whole world2 Infdels listen to such prayers. |
ana call those praying fools, and believe that |
Gods word doesn't amount to a great DEAL |
Why not come God in sensible way, and |